If you're new here, this blog will give you the tools to become financially independent in 5 years. The wiki page gives a good summary of the principles of the strategy. The key to success is to run your personal finances much like a business, thinking about assets and inventory and focusing on efficiency and value for money. Not just any business but a business that's flexible, agile, and adaptable. Conversely most consumers run their personal finances like an inflexible money-losing anti-business always in danger on losing their jobs to the next wave of downsizing.
Here's more than a hundred online journals from people, who are following the ERE strategy tailored to their particular situation (age, children, location, education, goals, ...). Increasing their savings from the usual 5-15% of their income to tens of thousands of dollars each year or typically 40-80% of their income, many accumulate six-figure net-worths within a few years.
Since everybody's situation is different (age, education, location, children, goals, ...) I suggest only spending a brief moment on this blog, which can be thought of as my personal journal, before delving into the forum journals and looking for the crowd's wisdom for your particular situation.

Did anyone notice how I’ve turned into a bad blogger lately? I recently started a forum and it seems to fit in well with the overall development of the ERE site.

Right now, we have

A blog that runs on autopilot. Every day a random post older the 2 years is promoted to the front page. I will also occasionally write a new post and put it on the front page. This, I think, serves to draw in new readers and give people a taste of what it’s all about. Actually, from this perspective, the older posts are better since they lay out more of my theory. Back then I was still explaining the ideas behind extreme early retirement. This is good [for me], because I hate repeating myself. Doing small variations on old stuff is my version of writing-hell. I feel that most of the pre-ERE subject is exhausted. I will still write about post-ERE, but this is on an “as I go” basis. Does anyone miss the new blog posts?

NOTE:If the repromoted posts do not appear in your RSS reader, let me know what software you are using. They do exist in the feed.

A forum that runs on autopilot. Indeed, it seems I’ve successfully made myself obsolete. This is where the hardcore hangs out. This turned out to be a greater success than I expected. Anyone can start a topic they think need discussion. Nobody needs to wait for me to catalyze it by writing a blog post first. The forum has 75-80 messages per day.

The book(s). We’re currently finalizing the first book. After it comes out, I will try to judge its shortcomings and write another one that covers the missing parts/style/whatever. I have outlines for two likely projects. It may also be that the book bombs completely in which case I may not write a second—it’s too much work to sell less than a few hundred copies.

Promotion, which I do entirely too little of. This probably means doing more guest posts and networking more with bloggers other than the usual suspects. Once the book comes out I will also have the basis for further outreach [to other authors].

If the book sells well and I write a second book, I will start my own imprint/publishing company. I own all rights to my book, so I can do with it what I want.

26 users responded in " My future plans for ERE "

For some reason your republished old posts don’t show up in my feed reader. I don’t want to sound whiny, but getting posts through my feed reader saves me a lot of time. I’ve looked through a lot of your old stuff, but I wouldn’t mind if I could see the republished posts in my daily updates. Visiting the site every day to see what has been randomly reposted is a bit annoying. Is there a setting you can change for that? Maybe others wouldn’t like that…I don’t know.

Jacob said,

@Paul – That’s really strange, because the repromoted posts are in the feed (and they show up in mine). See herehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/EarlyRetirementExtreme to check. Which RSS reader are you using? Maybe there’s a setting in there that needs to be changed?

I would caution you on starting a publishing company…it can be a HUGE amount of work. As I’m finding out right now. Thank goodness I’ve brought on a consultant to help.

So is your book edited and have an ISBN? Did you pick a release date yet? Who is doing the print run?

Just wondering,
Tim

Jacob said,

@Canadian Dream – I take it you started one to publish your book? It has an ISBN, it’s not quite edited. Createspace will run it. It’ll go up as soon as it’s done. I’m not doing a coordinated launch. Some day in the near future, you’ll see it announced on the front page here.

I appreciate you not compromising yourself. If it has pretty well been said, why do it again?

How wonder how many “minimalists” and other PF blogs keep writing, not because it’s not been said, but for other reasons.

Kevin M said,

I’m getting all the posts – old and new. I still love to read a new post, but the forum is a good proxy. The topics and discussion there have also exceeded my expectations.

Spork said,

I don’t see the recycled posts Jacob, I use “Google Reader”.

Jacob said,

@Spork – I “googled” for an answer. It seems the this is a known problem with Google Reader. It will not update the date for a post which is already in the feed. I deduce that this will be a problem for any RSS reader with a similar philosophy.

Feedly (firefox plugin) works pretty well yet it derives through google (as far as I can tell).

Matt said,

@Mike Crosby – I can think of two major PF blogs that regularly rehash old ideas in long, rambling posts. Or they just open the reader mailbag. I deleted them from my favorites because of this.

Jacob, keep doing what you’re doing. I miss reading a new post every day, but I’ll settle for a new one every so often if it’s quality, not quantity, that you’re worried about.

Jacob, I think you could refresh the blog topics by becoming a little more *gasp* commercial:

For example, the only consumerism you espouse is “consuming” (investing in) durable goods which will last a lifetime, or that will at least hold their value. Why not do an entire–perhaps short–post about a particular product, such as the Norwegian everlasting shoes/boots or whatever, the tools you’re obsessed with, with nice big pictures?

The guest posts have been interesting, but perhaps you could put a little more of a stamp of your persona on future ones by, for example, interviewing or profiling aspiring as well as accomplished EREs. This could be in the form of a Q&A (text or audio or video) or just plain old prose reportage.

Perhaps with a little research you could find some educational institutions at the 6-12 or college/trade school level that put into practice “real world education” such as you’ve described–everyday financial and budget skills, fixing and building things, sustainability, etc. They could get some exposure via your blog; you could make some connections with people practicing something akin to your philosophy.

jc said,

I’m getting, and like, the old posts along with the new. nice mix that allows me to explore the blog with no effort. 🙂

Steve Austin said,

Live Bookmarks is showing old and new posts, checked using the Feed Sidebar add-on for Firefox. I like getting the old ones, because occasionally I don’t recognize one as having read it previously (bad memory, unmemorable post, and/or I didn’t start reading until about 6 months after ERE blog started). ;-\

I’m using Google Reader, and I saw your comment about the known issue. That really stinks for me, because I enjoy reading the old stuff. I’ll just have to make it a point to check in once a week on the site!

I enjoy hearing about your book publishing process, but that’s probably because I might publish a book myself (or try to get it published). I’d also second NYC ERE on doing posts on high quality tools and things you use. I’m always on the lookout for good, high quality items to keep in mind if I ever need them.

I also understand where you’re coming from on rehashing things you’ve already said. I feel the same way, so I’ve started republishing some old things as well – especially since many of my newer readers probably haven’t seen them. I’m also trying to avoid sounding like every other PF blog by trying to explain the whys behind things rather than just defining it all. It’s difficult but much more rewarding because it’s useful for readers.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, and keep up the great work. I’d rather have you post more infrequently but continue with good insights than post all the time and drone on.

Matthew said,

Jacob,

We all started reading because you always kept your ideas original, well thought out, and interesting on subjects we all hold dear. Please keep posting original info when it comes to you, but I can imagine the hassle of feeling like you have to (or repeating yourself). The old is great too, especially for people who have not gone through the past blogs.

asimplelife said,

Jacob, I’ve been a regular reader for the past 6 months. Shortly after discovering your blog I went back and read all the earlier articles. I don’t object to re-posts, I read most of them, but I want some context.

I’d like to see the older posts indicate they are re-posts and include the original publication date. I’ve been thrown off at times reading something I thought you had worked out earlier or when you’ve referred to current events (OMG, did I miss some major news this week? No, this is a re-post. What the heck is he referring to?).

@asimplelife – All the repostings have the original date down at the bottom of the post. I try to block “timely” stuff retroactively in that I’ll take the post down asap (within a few hours) if it contains timely stuff.

Concojones said,

@Jacob: asimplelife has a point. There’s no way tell that it’s an old post. Nobody reads the fine print (which says “originally posted on”). The other day when you said you were doing reposts, I thought, really? where are they?! It’s only now I understand. It may be a good marketing trick though to not say it’s old stuff, as most visitors consider old stuff obsolete and irrelevant (righteously so if your info diet is mainstream media).

In any case, I like the repostings. Some may disagree but I much prefer old but excellent posts on ERE to the rambling philosophical posts that came after. If something is good, it’s worth rereading. Not once, but every year or so.

Jacob said,

@Concojones – It’s a good trick alright. It’s too bad that the “old is bad”-meme is firmly lodged in people’s heads.

Incidentally, it’s hard to satisfy everybody. I ramped up the philosophical posts after a survey (back in early 2009) said that these were the amongst preferred ones.

Concojones said,

To continue my earlier point, is it a coincidence that the posts are no longer showing a date? If you were doing this for the strategic reason I mentioned earlier, I have to say it’s brilliant, haha!

And again, as I said I don’t object. Timeless content is timeless.

Jacob said,

@Concojones – You mean the comments not showing dates anymore? No, it’s no coincidence 😉 Maybe it turns a few people off not wanting to comment on old comments, but on the other hand, the comments are just as good/evergreen as the posts, so why not? It can only grow the knowledge organically.

Concojones said,

Jacob, seems like we posted simultaneously.
And yes, I have noticed (with suprise/wonder) that your philosophical posts are hugely popular here. Seems like you have 2 bloggers in you. Some (like me) love blogger 1, others love blogger 2. We probably each love what is novel to us (either posts from blogger 1 or 2 or both).

Jacob said,

@Concojones – The blogger1&2 issue is also why I’m working on a second book.

AJ said,

@Jacob, is book #1 more philosophical/theoretical or how-to?

Jacob said,

@AJ – It’s more theoretical. It has one long how-to chapter, about 1/3 of the book. Book 2 (the working title is “workbook”) will be the other way around.

Nah, you’re not a bad blogger 😉 Congrats on having the drawing power to have a self-sustaining community and forums, and kudos to you for focusing your energy where you feel it is most effective, rather than continually rewriting old posts.

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